Mr Snuggles
by spaceman-earthgirl
Summary: This is the story of Kate Beckett's stuffed bear, Mr Snuggles. Caskett.
1. Chapter 1

Set not long after Cops and Robbers.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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Castle and Beckett sat side by side on her couch, eating takeout and going over their latest case. It was a tough one so when Beckett suggested that they go back to her place to go over the case notes with dinner, Castle accepted.

They're sitting there, the food and case files spread out on her coffee table when he saw it, sitting on the opposite couch and partially hidden by her union jack pillow.

"Beckett?" Castle questions, his eyes still on the object he's spotted. Beckett looks up at his voice and follows his eye line when she sees he's not looking at her. She blushes a dark red when she sees what he's looking at, her stuffed bear. She can't believe that she just left it out like that for him to see, but she hadn't expected him to be coming over either. But when she realized that his tone wasn't one of teasing but curiosity, she decided to tell him the story of her stuffed toy.

"My mom bought him for me when I was a baby and I've had him ever since. When I was young I never went anywhere without him but when I went off to college, I left him at home. After my mother's murder I found him again in one of my old boxes and I've had him with me since then," Beckett said, looking at the bear as she spoke, thinking about her childhood and her mother but she turned back to Castle once she had finished, her cheeks still red.

Castle smiled in response to her words, glad that Beckett felt she could be this open with him but before he could speak, she was talking again.

"He usually stays tucked away in my room but I bring him out every now and then, he brings me comfort when I need it, reminds me of my mom," and then she paused, not sure if she should reveal the next part but the look on his face, so open, made the decision for her and she was speaking again, "I especially needed him a couple of weeks ago."

Silence filled the room after her confession and Castle reached out to take her hand in his, knowing why she'd have needed it recently.

"The bank?" Castle asked quietly, eyes roaming over Beckett's face as she looked back at him. He knew that his time in the bank had affected her more than she'd let on. Knew that it had completely shaken her that at least for a little while, she'd thought that he was dead. He'd seen the relief, and what certainly looked like love, in her eyes when she'd found him alive in the bank. But he hadn't pushed, had told her that he was there if she needed him but had given her space afterwards instead.

"Yeah," she breathed, and just telling him this, giving him another piece of her felt so good that she wanted this damn wall gone so she could give all of herself to him. That bear gave her comfort, had always been with her and just having it close made her feel better, made her feel safe and think back to when her mother was still alive. But Castle also made her feel safe, feel warm and feel loved and that was just as necessary to her as the bear from her mother was.

They sat in silence again, just looking at each other with her hand still in Castle's. Castle was the first to speak to break the tension and to try to lighten the mood, he could see the dark in the back of Beckett's eyes and wanted to make her feel better.

"Does he have a name?"

Beckett laughed, always thankful that Castle knows just what to say, "Mr Snuggles."

She knew Castle would laugh when he heard it, and he did, but it wasn't a teasing laugh and the glint in his eye told her that he definitely wasn't teasing, the look in his eyes looked a lot more like love than anything else. And she knew she was looking back at him with a very similar look.

Beckett removed her hand from his then, stood up and walked across the room and retrieved the bear before taking her seat again and handing the bear to Castle.

He took it, turning it over in his hands, feeling the soft material at his fingers and he could tell it was well loved. He looked back up at her with a smile that she'd seen with increasing frequency, that soft look still in his eyes.

And because giving him that small part of her felt so good, Beckett wanted to give more, "I want to buy one just like it and give it to my son or daughter when I have them."

Castle, who had looked back down at the bear, looked up again in shock, not expecting to get this much information out of Beckett all at one time, "you want kids?"

"One day," she said almost wistfully, her mind wandering to what it could be like in the future, to have kids (with him).

"You'd make a great mother," Castle said quietly, smiling at her as he looked back on the times he'd seen her with kids and how great she'd been. Then his mind started wandering forward, to what it could be like if she ever let them have that together.

Beckett smiled back at him, "What about you, do you want more kids?"

"I always thought Alexis would be it for me, that she'd be my only child but I think if I found the right woman, that if she wanted kids too, I could see myself having more sometime in the future," he answered, thinking of nothing but Kate as he spoke. Not only wanting to give her the future he could see her thinking about, but wanting to have that for himself too. If he didn't have kids with Beckett, he knew he wouldn't have any with anyone else, there would be no one else but her.

"I hope you get that one day, you make a great father," Beckett said, hoping he could read the message that was written all over her face, that she wanted to be the one to give that to him, she just couldn't say that out loud yet, had to get rid of that wall first and let him in completely. She was working on it and hoped that one day soon she could do just that, let him in and have the future they're both thinking about.

"I hope you do too," Castle replied, the same message written all over his face as he stared into her eyes, not hiding any of the emotions he was feeling and letting them spill across his face.

Beckett was the first to look away and Castle was okay with that, knowing that she'd opened herself up to him tonight and would need time before she could do it again. He handed the bear back to her, saw her stroke its head before she placed it on the chair beside them and picked up a case file, ready to get back to work.

Both couldn't help but think that something had shifted tonight, that they'd moved forward together and they hoped that they could continue moving towards the future that they both want, one they both hope is in the not too distant future.

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I've marked this as complete but I have an idea for a second chapter that I could write if anyone is interested. Thoughts?


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, I didn't expect that kind of response to this fic so thanks to everyone who reviewed/favourited/followed. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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Castle and Beckett walked through the door after a long day at work and they were still just as in love, if not more, than when they got married just over a year ago.

They made dinner together like most nights before watching a movie and then heading off to bed together.

Beckett had just come out of the bathroom as Castle was about to get into bed and she walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around him. She pressed her front up against his back, placing a kiss on his shoulder before he was spinning in her arms.

"Hey, you," Castle said softly when he was facing her before he leant down and pressed his lips against hers.

Castle turned them and tried to step forward to push Beckett onto the bed but she pulled her lips from his and put her hands out to stop him.

"Wait."

"Kate?" he questioned, noticing that she now looked slightly nervous.

"Sit down," Beckett answered, gently maneuvering him until the back of his knees hit the edge of the bed and he sat down.

He shot her a questioning looked but she remained silent, looking like she wanted to say something but was readying herself for it. He waited patiently for her to speak, knew that sometimes it was best just to let her think things through on her own and not push and she would talk to him eventually.

"Close your eyes." That surprised Castle, he had no idea where this was going but he'd assumed she wanted to talk but the last time she told him to close his eyes, they definitely didn't end up talking.

Castle did as she'd asked and Beckett waved her hands in front of his eyes, checking that they were actually closed. When she received no reaction, she placed a quick kiss on his lips before she moved away.

Castle could hear rustling over in the direction of their closet and then she was back in front of him again.

Kate reached out and took his hand, guiding it to the object she'd retrieved from the wardrobe. But he waited, waited until she gave the word to open his eyes again.

"You can open your eyes now," she said softly and while he could still hear a nervous edge to her voice, there was also some excitement mixed in as well. And she was nervous, but not about what she was about to do. She knew how Castle would react, it's the future she's more nervous about but she's also excited, so so very excited.

Castle slowly opened his eyes, keeping his eyes on Beckett as she looked back at him with such love that he almost forgot that she'd just handed him something and was going to kiss her senseless. But he could feel the object, soft in his hand as her hand sat on top of his, caressing it gently.

He finally looked down and his brow furrowed in confusion at what he saw, a stuffed bear. It looked very similar to her bear, the one that now sat on their dresser, but this one's fur was softer, a slightly darker colour and it's arms and legs were slightly longer.

She gave him a bear?

But then his eyes widened as he remembered the conversation they'd had when he first saw her stuffed animal, what she'd said about one day wanting to buy another bear for future children when they were born.

"Kate, are you…" he looked up at her and the grin on her face told him everything he needed to know.

"Yes," she whispered, nodding vigorously as a grin broke out on Castle's face as well.

And then he was standing, putting his arms around her and pulling her tightly against his chest, the bear still in his hand as it was around Beckett's back.

She hugged back just as hard, her face resting in the crook of his neck as a tear escaped one of her eyes. She was just so happy right now.

Castle pulled back and moved a hand from around her back up to cup her cheek, to wipe the single tear that had slide down her face. Castle had tears in his eyes too.

"We're having a baby?" Castle whispered, not entirely sure that this moment was real or if it's all just a wonderful dream.

"We are," Beckett replied, her eyes shining back at him.

_A baby,_ he thought, _we're actually having a baby_. He had to take a few deep breaths when he realised that this was actually happening, that he'd created a tiny person with his wife that was part both of them. That they were going to bring a little human into the world that was theirs and theirs alone.

They'd talked about having kids before. There was the night where they first spoke about it, the first time Castle met Mr Snuggles. And then they'd spoken about it again, once they were actually together. They both knew that the other wanted kids and it was something they'd talked about as a possibility for the future but they never planned anything, wanting to wait until they were married before kids was an option. Now they are married and having children has come up from time to time but again, they never planned anything, wanting to wait until the time was right. Which was apparently right now.

"We're having a baby!" Castle said excitedly, pulling Beckett back against him but this time he kissed her, moved his lips against hers as she melted into his embrace.

He pulled back again but rested his forehead against hers as she closed her eyes.

"We're having a baby," Castle said again, quieter this time, almost in awe that this was actually happening, that they were going to have a child together.

He pulled his hands back in between them bringing the bear with him so it was in the small space between them. Beckett moved her hands too, placed them on top of his as he held the stuffed animal.

It was crazy to think how far they've come, from that night when she let him on something very personal to not long later, when she was the one to ask him out when she'd finally knocked down the rest of that wall (with his help) and could let him in. It had taken Castle less than a year after that to propose and now here they were, standing in their bedroom as she's just told him that she's pregnant with his child.

Castle dropped one of his hands then, moving it to span across her stomach, where their baby was growing. Beckett placed her hand on top of his, threading their fingers together as they rested against her, their other hands still holding the bear that would one day belong to their little boy or girl.

"I love you," Castle whispered, taking the bear from her now to put it on their bedside table before he pulled her backwards onto the bed with him, moving to settle on his side. Beckett moved with him but instead of lying down beside him, she threw her leg over his body and settled there, straddling his thighs.

She leant down to kiss him again as Castle ran his hands up her sides before they spanned her back, pulling her closer to him until her chest was flush with his. They definitely didn't get much sleep that night.

**XXX**

The day when their little girl was born, Amelia Johanna Castle, was one of the happiest days of their lives.

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I'd already written this chapter when you reviewed but theputz913, this was your idea as well. (And thanks for pointing out my mistake, it's been fixed).

I'm going to change this to incomplete for now because thanks to everyone's reviews, I had more ideas for this fic. And what did you think? I'd really appreciate your feedback :)


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks again for all the reviews/favourites/follows, you guys are the best! This is rather short but I didn't want to add more so here it is. I hope you enjoy it :)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.**

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The bear has watched Kate grow throughout her life and now watched Castle and her become a family. He's watched Kate become happy again but he's still needed from time to time. Sometimes Castle finds her with Mr Snuggles and that's when he really knows that something is wrong.

He may have been out at book meetings for the day or just in the other room and he'd walk in and find Beckett curled up, holding her bear close and he'd know then that she wasn't okay.

The first time he'd found her, not long after they'd started dating, she'd been at her apartment, tears in her eyes as she held the bear close. They'd had a big argument and he'd left her like that apartment, coming back less than an hour later to apologise. At first, he didn't know what he should do. Should he leave her, let her have some alone time to think over her problems by herself or should he try and comfort her?

But when he thought about leaving her, he couldn't do it again, not when she was like this, so he walked over to where she was curled up, sat down beside her and gently pulled her into his lap. Beckett froze when he did so he paused, gave her time, let her pull away if she wanted to but then she snuggled further into his lap and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and apologising for their argument.

She does the same for him now too. Sometimes when a case hits him too hard or he's just having a tough day, she'll just hold him close, let him know that she's there and that alone makes him feel better.

It was bad for both of them after Alexis had been kidnapped. Castle had thought his little girl was dead and Beckett had thought that he was. Castle had comforted his daughter until she fell asleep, putting on a brave face for her but he'd broken down instantly when he'd walked into his room and saw Beckett there, bear in hand, eyes read like she'd been crying. She was off the bed and in his arms in an instant, wanting him close but also wanting to comfort him in return, knowing what he'd been through in the past few days.

The worst time he found her was after her mother's murder had been solved. She'd gone into the bedroom to change but Castle had grown worried when she hadn't come back out. He realised then that he probably shouldn't have left her alone, even though she seemed like she was handling it okay but when he entered the room, he knew she wasn't.

There she'd been, curled up on the covers with her bear held tightly in her arms. He'd noticed one day that she'd brought it over with some of her other belongings to his loft. They weren't living together officially yet but she had been spending more and more time at his place recently. And he was glad she had it now, pressed against her chest as she sobbed silently into the pillow. He was at her side in a second, climbing onto the bed behind her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She turned into him, pressed her face into his chest and held him back just as tightly.

They're married now, have a child together, but sometimes he still finds her with the bear, usually during or after a tough case and he just holds her, knows she gets comfort from him just being close. And he's thankful that he can do that for her, be there for her.

But she goes to him more now, lets him know when sometimes wrong so he can comfort her instead of the bear. Mr Snuggles is still there, sitting in their room and she still finds a level of comfort in him but nothing is more comforting and makes her feel safer than being wrapped in Castle's arms as he holds her close.

And now they have a child, a little girl, and sitting there holding her, with Castle's arms around them both, there's nothing in the world that's more comforting than that.

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What did you think? I'm toying with the idea of writing a 4th chapter but I don't know if I will so I've marked it complete again in case I don't.


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